What time does the 2024 Kentucky Derby start?

The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be an all-day affair at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and the 2024 event has even more meaning with Saturday being the historic 150th Run for the Roses. The 2024 Derby has a 6:57 p.m. EDT scheduled post time with TV coverage on NBC and live streaming on-demand.

Fierceness starts Saturday as the Derby favorite with 5/2 odds, followed by Sierra Leone (3/1) as the clear-cut top horses in the field, but with plenty of competitors capable of crashing the party. Catching Freedom (8/1), Just A Touch (10/1) and Forever Young (10/1) lead the next tier of contenders looking to make a run.

Fierceness was a winner last time out in the 2024 Florida Derby, where he posted a 107 HRN speed figure, which could help set a blazing tone in the Derby. Sierra Leone has been a winner in three of four career races, including the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes on April 6. Forever Young is a popular betting pick from Japan known for his speed, just to name a few of the top contenders to hit the board.

The 2024 Kentucky Derby is scheduled to start at 6:57 p.m. EDT on NBC, whose coverage of the race is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Live streams are available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).

The Kentucky Derby will also stream on Peacock.